The lovers, the haters, and the meh in between.
Navigating the bottom-feeding trolls to the shooting star rise of influencers and what they mean(or not) for your business.
Warning
If you have not configured ALL your social media into personal and a separate business entity/persona/brand then begin the separation now. All platforms suitable for business have a separate business application on the platform.
How social media works.
For starters it’s entertainment.
Pure and simple whether you’re posting for climate change, the latest fashion craze, politics, or puppies. Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, TicToc, Meta, or the new Web 3.0, social platforms are for entertainment.
That was why it was created and why it’s not going anywhere soon. We as humans like being entertained. We are social beings and the brilliance of social media is it combined both on devices we carry with us at all times. Whether we crave status, knowledge, relevance, or compassion you can find your people who think like you, want like you, on social.
This is what the wizards of the internet had in mind when they built the current and not yet conceived web platforms of now and the future. It’s purely for fun.
Where does business fit in?
There are two ways to go.
Paid Ads
Once you have an audience you can sell ad space to businesses who want to talk to those people. In the old days, you picked a newspaper that had your customer's same views and values and ran an ad. Now you pick a social platform that gels with your customer base and run ads.
So much has changed and yet so little actually has.
Organic Posting as a business.
Not to be confused with paid advertisement.
It’s simple. When you consistently post as a business you are letting people know your business is alive and thriving. What do we all do when we are curious? Google it. As a business, you want to come up as more than just a map address. An active social feed can add a few blurbs below taking up the majority of the page and this online visibility is gold.
Breaking it down further with posting
You have two choices: post for engagement or post for algorithms and visibility.
Engagement will drive organic visibility.
Those funny videos or questions inviting comments are drivers of the organic feed. But, and it is a big BUT, engagement takes time. A lot of time and you have to monitor the feed daily if not hourly. Starting a conversation and then walking away will damage your reputation, so be prepared to be there if someone engages. The same social standards apply online or off.
Enter the social media influencer world only if you thrive on social connection, then go for it. It can be powerful in gaining online visibility if you are up for the task.
Posting for algorithms.
Consistent posting, anywhere from daily to once a month will let people who are curious about what you do let them know you are alive and thriving. Consistency is the key to the algorithms kicking in and raising your brand up to the surface. Remember algorithms read words themes and repeating messages are key. Configure your news feed for posts only no comments. Make sure your posts are informational only and not asking for engagement. Have people DM or call you if they need more information.
So….
Organic will take time and energy, paid ads are faster and reach further but they take money. No matter what you choose as a business it will need to be visible on mobile, desktop, or tablet. This means knowing what tech format works best for the platform you are on and the people you want to reach. Next week's topic!!
So love the connection or leave the technology. Your online visibility will have a big influence on whether your business thrives or fails in today's world.
Need help navigating the vast waters of the online world give us a call. We can help get you to the surface of mobile, desktop, or tablet.
Trina Gold
Master Creator BWCI